There are known several devices for use in gripping a golf club. Most of these attachments are used one way or the other to improve the golfer's game and, in most instances, to improve his or her accuracy in holding the club. Some attachments have been proposed that allegedly permit greater driving power or resulting greater distances. Typical of these devices are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,855,126; 2,710,190; 2,962,288 and 3,533,630.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,855,126 (Connell) an attachment for golf clubs is disclosed which is provided with screw holes through which screws or rivets firmly attach it to the handle of a golf club. The Connell device fits and extends substantially tangential to the handle and encircles or extends spirally around the club handle. The use of screws to attach Connell's grip device to a club handle either requires permanent attachment or results in unsightly screw holes when the grip is removed and not used. Also, the Connell device is for a right hand grip making no provision for the left hand placement. The drawings of Connell (FIG. 1) and his disclosure column 1 lines 13-16 make it clear that his device is for right hand grips only.
Throughout the present disclosure in the single use (non universal) embodiment reference will be made to right and left hand grips for illustration purposes. These references will be drawn to a right handed player. Obviously, for left handed players just the reverse is true. Thus, while the present hand grip is for the left hand and is described as such, a left handed person would use it with his or her right hand.
In the preferred universal grip embodiment of this invention provision is made for use by both or either right or left handed players. This is accomplished by placing finger and palm guide impressions on both sides of the gripping device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,190 (Schimansky) a hand grip attachment for golf clubs is described where the attachment is placed tangential to the axis of the club. Schimansky's device is adapted to be permanently secured to the handle or it may be detachably connected to a club. His device is used to properly position the lower hand (right hand) upon the handle of the club and to give the thumb and forefinger a better grip on the handle. An aperture is positioned in his device to receive the index finger of the user and allows the other three fingers to be gripped around the handle of the club. The longitudinal axis of Schimansky's device as with Connell's device is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the golf club. Also, Schimansky's device is only suitable for use with the right hand and no provision is made for left handed users or use with the left hand of right handed players. Schimansky's device is provided with a clamping ring with tightening screws for securing the grip device to the handle. Thus, after his device is fitted around the club and pushed into position, it is tightened by turning screw 20 as shown in his FIG. 3. His grip is a two-piece structure each of which must be attached to a club handle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,288 (Lowden) a golf putter grip device is disclosed for use primarily when the golfer is putting. His device is used as a grip for the right hand while leaving the left hand free for guiding the golf club. The purpose of Lowden's device is to provide more power for the right hand of right handed golfers.
LoMonaco in U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,630 discloses a four-piece golf club grip device. A clamping device is used to attach the LoMonaco grip to a golf club handle. A set screw 4 in LoMonaco is tightened or releases to attach the grip (or remove) it from the golf club handle. Since the handle grip on LoMonaco's device is the clamping device, holding his handle grip with the left hand only on the follow through will change the tension on the clamping device possibly releasing the grip from the club handle.